Are organically grown foods really healthier than conventionally grown foods and why?

Answer 1

Mr. Txpilot has not read organic gardening books, perhaps.

The value of organically grown food is not necessarily from the plant you are eating (more later) it is primarily from the pesticides and herbicides that you are NOT eating!

If the leaves and insects are being affected by the stuff put on the plant and the soil, (which feeds the plant), then when you EAT the plants, you are 'eating' the poisons used on the plant and the soil. Many of the chemicals are cancer-producing, or at least, will increase the immunity-reduction in your body's lines of defense. You need immunity to resist diseases, and chemicals (and sugar actually) compromise your body's natural immunity systems.

Now about the benefit of the plant you are eating: if it is grown organically, it is doing its thing in a more nature-like way. The lack of fertilizer/pesticide chemicals is usually more than made up for by the composts that most organic gardeners use. Compost is the left overs from the weeding and trimming done in any garden. I dig my dandelions out by hand and compost them. Kitchen leftovers (minus meat) are taken to the compost as are dead flower arrangements, and other natural products from the home.

The other writer mentioned that veggies/plants grown in the wild are hodge podge spaced. so are they in my garden. I do not grow rows of veggies, I clump some here and flowers there. Organic farmers are aware of the dangers of single veggies plantings and also have crop rotations and spacings to enhance diversity.

Another benefit of organic gardens - if less people use chemicals, less chemicals will be made, and that will reduce pollution during the making process, AND pollution generally. The big farms produce water pollution with the in-ground water pollution from run-off, as the fertilizers seep into the aquifers

I urge you to eat organically.

Shall I go on? You are probably bored by now. Please look into the whole eating/nourishment/health thing. It is too late when you have a debilitating disease. I want to die healthy.

Answer 2

It's true that mixtures of plants often thrive better than just one crop, in a row.

Organic growers use this fact plus a good knowledge of companion planting to achieve good results.

One of the main benefits of organic food is that it is a more sustainable way of growing food. The wider environment generally benefits because poisons are not being used to control insects and other pests. This means birds and animals are more likely to thrive. Most organic farmers are well aware of the need to protect and encourage wildlife and biodiversity.

The key to organic growing is healthy soil. A healthy soil teeming with complex life will support strong plant growth. Plants will benefit from accessible nutrients so that the food produced is nutritionally richer. The root systems of plants are adapted to work together with soil organisms such as mycorrhizae to absorb nutrients.

By contrast, some conventional crops can be severely deficient in micro-nutrients. For example, zinc is becoming depleted in much modern beef because the grass which the stock is raised on is deficient in this mineral. Conventional farming does not put back what it takes out.

Standard farming is dependent upon fertilisers, many of which come from petro-chemicals. This is clearly not sustainable. Meanwhile, run-off from these fertilisers pollutes water sources.

Coming back to personal health, there have been several studies which have shown many common food crops - carrots, apples, kiwi fruits to name a few - have significant pesticide residues in them. These residues cannot be washed away; when you eat the food, your body takes in that pesticide.

Answer 3

Typically yes, because chemical pesticides aren't used on them. Several pesticides are known to be harmful to humans, but in larger doses than the average consumer is exposed to. However, there is no government standard for "organic," and it's a loosely used term in the US. In much the same way "free range" means chicken aren't in a cage but may be squeezed together in a tiny shed, organic can often mean that less pesticide is used or simply a different kind of pesticide.

Answer 4

There is no evidence that organically grown food is safer than that treated with commercial pesticides.The "natural" food junkies forget that growing food is not a natural thing. Mother nature does not grow plants in a straight line and bunched together.She spreads them out so disease and insects won't be able to infect the others so easily.Think of a crowded city with an epidemic.Would you be better off with a vaccination or not? The same thing applies to plants.

Answer 5

It is not anymore nutritious then conventionally grown food.